Real Estate

Just an accent of plum on the front door

A touch of colour boosts the house's exquisite choice of rich greyish green

Designer Suzanne Rowe shows how painting the shutters at the top of the home a tone or two darker than the siding, works.

Photograph by: Suzanne Rowe
, The Gazette

An enthusiastic daughter submitted her mother's house for a new curb-appeal design.

One look at it and I was enchanted. Even with a few welcomed improvements, its character and personality emerged. The rich, greyish green was an exquisite choice but it still needed an extra boost. Like lipstick on a beautiful face, an accent of plum on the front door in a semi-gloss finish would create the desired result.

For the shutters on top, I suggest painting these in the same palette as the siding, but a tone or two darker.

The new, made-to-measure, higher and wider charcoal flower boxes will host beautiful cascading annuals in the warm seasons. Lush pine branches decorated with fruits and white lights in winter would also please any passerby.

Even small details like two long traditional black light fixtures installed on each side of the door would make a big difference.

Because of the imposing surface of the windows, its treatment is significantly important to complement the house without being distracting. I propose a homogeneous look, in this case, simple white curtains downstairs and maybe thick horizontal white wooden blinds for upstairs.

The residents inherited paving stones. Depending on the quantity, there would be one wide pathway going to the street, descending flush to the height of the road and another narrower walkway going to the driveway. If more stones are available, install these as a border between the lawn and driveway and repeat the same operation near the street. If no more stones are left, use treated wood beams inserted in ground and again, flush to the height of the street. Stain the wood the same colour as the dry stones.

To limit snowplow damage, at the end of autumn indicate the boundaries of the lot with two posts in front of Spirea shrubs.

In winter, the destructive salt spraying from street cleaning discourages owners from landscaping. Salt is harmful: it curls the foliage, distorts the stems, reduces growth and eventually kills the vegetation. I recommend a choice of tolerant shrubs and perennials.

In spring, to restrain the accumulation of sodium in the branches, the shrubs have to be trimmed down to about 15 cm high and even lower for the perennials.

Because of the small size of the lot, the natural elements are kept simple and repetitive but not shy of bold colour. A hardy hedge of Rosa Rugosa with its fuchsia flowers will also hide the bottom of the overgrown cedars on the left of the driveway. One of the two Juniperus conifers on each side of the home would easily hide the garbage pail.

A special and very important request was made by a certain person. She asked for a feeding station for wild ferrets or fur balls as she called them. A portable wooden box with a handle, a roof and openings on the two sides will give easy access to food. The front, of course, would be closed for more privacy and made to look like the new facade of the home.

Vegetation (from left to right):

- Rosa Rugosa (shrub, 1 on right corner and hedge on left of driveway)

- Juniperus Virginiana Blue Arrow (conifers on each corner)

- Pelargonium X Peltatum (cascading annuals, flower boxes)

- Lamium Maculata (silver leaf perennials, near foundation)

- Campanula Capartica (per-ennials hedge, white flowers)

- Spirea Japonica Neon Flash (2 shrubs, near street)

HOUSEWARMING: Most homes can use a little help when it comes to warming up their curb appeal. If you'd like some inexpensive ideas on how to improve the appearance of your home, send a clear photo of your house with your commentary to: Suzanne Rowe, Designer, suro@bell.net. Because of the volume of email she receives, it is not possible for her to individually reply to each correspondent.

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